This Isis II by Sonicwarp is finally out. Unlike the Isis I which was a sphere, this is a pyramid with 5 layers. The layers can be rotated, but not always in both directions and sometimes 2 or more of the layers may be locked together. Like with the Isis I, there is a complex internal mechanism which you must figure out in order to solve the puzzle. There are 2 versions of it so far, the standard one is the Ramisis and they also offer a more challenging one called the Ramisi5. The Ramisi5 is only available directly from Sonicwarp and only to those who have solved an Isis I and are members of the 5% club (it is estimated that only 5% of Isis I owners can solve it). As a collector I already have one of each

Solving an Isis I would give you a key and let you join in on the Isis Adventure in which you would attempt to solve a very tricky riddle and then possibly even have to go on a treasure hunt to win some cash prizes (talking a few hundred dollars or more). Solving the Isis II also gets you a key (keys from the Isis I through IV will be required to solve the Isis V when it comes out) and it gets you into a different kind of Isis Adventure. This time you get a PC puzzle game with some very tricky logic puzzles to solve. Beating the game can win you some money (once again a few hundred dollars or more).

Now I have to say that there are a few issues with these that Sonicwarp is currently working hard to straighten out. First off the nice wood display boxes are not quite right. Their supplier for the boxes dropped the ball and Sonicwarp won’t have the correct Isis II boxes until late winter or early spring. In the mean time what they are doing is packaging the pyramid shaped Isis II into an Isis I box which was originally meant for a sphere. As you can imagine this doesn’t really work out well, the top tip of the puzzles actually punches a hole in the top of the box! Sonicwarp has said that when the correct boxes become available that we’ll get them. Also, the Isis II has some built in electronics in the form of red and green LEDs which should blink codes for you to decipher. The electronics are not necessary to solve the puzzle, but the deciphered codes will be needed after solving the puzzle if you wish to take part in the Isis II Adventure. Sonicwarp has said that if the LEDs don’t work after you solve the puzzle you will be able to easily remove the electronic board and send it back to them for repair. The electronics in my Ramisi5 do work, but they don’t seem to work in my Ramisis.

i saw this last night and wanted it but its not cheap

When I got mine, the box wasn't closed. As you said, the puzzle is in the wrong box. I took off the rubber feet on the bottom of the puzzle, and it fits fine. You might try that. My light has never come on and I've twisted a lot.

Right now, it makes a good book end.

So wait, what type of a puzzle is this now? A riddle puzzle? By the picture if it is a twisty puzzle it looks very easy.

It's a twisty of sorts. Easy? Go spend 150 pounds and find out! Everything looks easy until you try it. This is just about as bad as some of those lines from the puzzle forum about stupid things people say.

Yes, it twists, yes the solution is "easy" once you work it out. Everything is in hindsight! It's the working it out that is hard. This one also has a few more steps than the isis did. Well worth the money.

the reason I say it looks easy is it looks like a 1x1x4 in a pyramid shape, as far as twisting goes. I don't see how else it would twist, maybe some more pictures so I can understand it better?

How do I explain this without giving it away. It has 5 layers that each turn both clockwise and counterclockwise. There's something inside the puzzle that has to move at the same time, so up is not always up. Up could be the side? Or the bottom? Whilst turning it upside down and rightside up and side to side, you also have to twist each layer clockwise or counterclockwise depending on the position of the thing inside. You can hear the thing inside moving, or maybe you can't if you have the RAMISI5 because there is a key inside and that might be what is making noise.

Adding to the ambiguity, there is a timer that starts counting when you make your first turn, and once it's open the timer starts again. Now, there is another bit to open once you've come this far. Of course, once you've finished all this you can then enter your code on the webpage and play with whatever there is at the website.

Things are not always as they seem. Maybe a quick how does that work would be much better than that looks easy. Or maybe use a search engine to find out about the puzzle in the first place.

My ISIS was "easy" to open. I droped it from 3 stories up and it hit just right. I knew what I had to do, but couldn't do it. Since then, I've closed it again and can't get the darned thing open. Easy is relative isn't it?

ooh... clever! I love it! I may just get one to try it out, sounds like a new type of chalenge vs. a normal twisty puzzle.

The Isis series of puzzles has certainly found itself a niche market to cater to. As intriguing as the puzzles are, they're just not twisty enough for me and hard to justify the cost. Well, I say that, but I did buy a master tetrahedron...

They do cost a lot! I've enjoyed them, but I much prefer watching others say "that's easy" and letting them get frustrated and put it down. Usually it ends in "I've better things to do with my time, or I don't want to ruin it for you".

And, they are VERY pretty!

That's why I kept one of my two.

Be careful if you search online for information on the Isis. The entire point of these puzzles is figuring them out for yourself. It would completely spoil the experience if you watched someone on youtube solving one and/or found pictures of the internal mechanism.

I kind of ment going to Sonic warp to read what the puzzle is about. Not doing a solution search

Voltair, if you're ever in the Ypsi/Ann Arbor area, I could call up Doug (umichspeedcubist) and we could try helping you out with it.

We really ought to get a puzzle get together in MI soon. It seems like there are plenty of people who could come. I could talk to at least 3 people outside of the forum about it.

There are a couple of people on the Isis forum from the area too.

Just bumping a somewhat old thread to say that I finally solved my Isis II today! Both of them actually (the Ramisis and Ramisi5)

Now I can't wait for the Isis III. Then again, I still haven't solved my Isis 1C (harder version of the original).

Wow!
Looks like I'm going to have a new set to add to the collection.

Once you solve it...does it open or something? And if it does, can you 'scramble' it and solve it again?? wouldn't make much of a puzzle to me if you couldn't (other than the initial solve, obviously)

Could someone post pictures of both Iris I & II next to a 3x3 cube so we could see the size of it?

I've seen the original ISIS puzzle and played with it a bit, it's about the size of a baseball? maybe a little larger...I can't seem to find a comparison picture at the moment...

Isis I and II with a void cube (you'ld think I could find a regular rubik's in my house, but I can't)

Is there a reason the actual puzzle says RAMISI5 instead of RAMISIS...the sonicwarp site lists it as ramisis and the picture shows isis but your puzzle is labeled with a 5...is there any significance of the 5?

Voltair Prime has this one too. I think it is supposed to be harder. You could ask him. If I remember only members of the 5% club could order them.

Thanks for posting the picture

What happens when it is solved (or thrown out a 3 story window)?

Is there a difference between the Iris Original Classic & New Classic (the round ones)?

If you pitch them off the balconey (I have), they either bounce, pop open, or get a ding. Mine has done all three.
The shipping to HK is 25 pounds per puzzle, so I only have one of each. They are heavy suckers though.

I'm drawn to the challange ("5% of Isis I owners can solve it") but I'm still trying to justify the price tag since I'm not a collector.

I got my first ISIS when it came out. It was a lot cheaper then, but like most of my puzzles, I can't tell youwhat I paid for it. Less than 100 pounds I'm sure. I just looked, it was 84 pounds.
The NKRYPTOR is a waste of money as far as I'm concerned. yes I have one. yes it took less than a minute to open it after thinking about it. Yes, it's an old mechanism.
The ISIS was a beast, but then I did toss it over the balcony and discovered something.
I hate that I put it back together and can't reopen it. Not that I've tried. I've been thinking of other things. Haven't played with ISIS II much at all. Twisted for a bit when I first got it but that was all. Now it's a pretty paperweight.
To find out what it does when solved, you will just have to buy one.
The difference between the two seems to be the color and the price! I have no idea.
For the record, 500 pounds is way too much to get puzzles not made yet. Especially with the problems of getting the Ramsi5. That one got to me almost 6 months after the proposed release date.

These types of puzzles are all about the initial solve. Once you do it the puzzle does come apart and you can see the entire mechanism which means that it will be easy to solve again. Fortunately with the Isis puzzles there is “The Isis Adventure” which opens up to you after you solve one of the puzzles. The adventure consists of riddles, some treasure hunting, and now even a PC game, all of which have real money rewards for solving. Some people have purchased extra Isis puzzles even though they know how to solve them just to get extra keys which are used for the adventure.

As katsmom mentioned, the Ramisi5 is a slightly harder version that is only sold to people who have solved the original Isis. The differences between the Ramisis and Ramisi5 were rather minor though. I was hoping for more of a challenge with it. After I figured out the Ramisis I had the Ramisi5 open in just a few hours.

I have to say that this puzzle is much more complex than the original Isis and it’s also very different in how it works and what you have to do to solve it. Even now that I know how the Ramisis works it would probably take me close to an hour to completely solve it from a reset state. I can solve my Isis in only a few minutes. Not that it’s easy to figure out the first time, it’s just a simpler mechanism. Hopefully they continue this trend of making each puzzle in the series vastly different than the others.

I bought two , one come and one on the way , both I , one is limted item